Orifice fitting



Sept. 15, 1931. w. D. EMERY ORIFICE FITTING Filed March 2, 192e 2 Sheets-sheet' 1 Y Sept. 15, 1931. w. D. EMI-:RY

ORIFIGE FITTING Filed March 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. (Y) 20h/Z620 Ulmewy mime Patented sept. 15, 1931 y UNITED STA TES,

WALDO D. EMERY, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA l`PATENT oFE'lcE ORIFICE FITTING 'Appneationmed Mai-e112; 1929. serial No. 343,936.

The invention relates lto improvements. .in devices used for securlng orifice-platesun.

pipe lines.v Measurement by means of the oriice-meter necessitates changing of the orifice-plate in the line as different sized oriices are required for .different rates of flow.

The principal object of the invention is to ting will duplicate the proper conditions affecting the co-eiicient of the plate-,so that accuracy obtained by the standard orifice- Harige-union can be obtained withthisnt'ting. @riginal co-etficients for thin orifice-plates were established Vby extended tests which made use of the plate clamped between two halves of an'oritice-iange-union. These coetcients are the basis of measurements by orifice-meters. In duplicating the abovementioned conditions, this fitting is so designed that the distance from the upstream side of the orifice-plate to the partof the line in the fitting, is kept at a minimum. As this distance is increased, the effect of rough or burred edges of the pipe affects the accuracy of measurement by venturi-ing or disturbing the iow through the Orifice-plate, causing possible loss of accuracy. rlhe construction herein disclosed for holding the plate in position in the fitting results in duplicating desired conditions obtained by the standard oriice-ange-union and allows a thin plate to be used without danger of distortion.

lWith the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter describedl and claimed, description being supplemented by the accompanying-drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved fitting, the pipe line being shown in transverse section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View online 2--2 of Fig. l.

"Fig, 3 is a vertical sectional view on line n 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 41s a horizontal sectional view on the correspondingly numbered line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalview through the main `body portion of thek fitting.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the ring which normally holds the orifice-plate againsta seat and' is itself movable against saidseat upon removal of said plate.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the part shown y The form of construction herein disclosed 4 may be considered as preferred and whilei such construction `will be rather.y specifically described, it 'is to bek understood that `within the yscope of the invention as claimed,.numer ous variations may be made.

` The numeral 8 on the drawings denotes a one-piece body having two opposed iifatsides 9-10, said body being formed with va flowbore 11 fromone of said sides to the other.

The end 12 of this Iflow-bore which opens through the side 10, Yis enlarged and an ori- `tice-plate seat 13 is provided at the juncture of the two diameters of said bore. An orifice-plate-removal-passage 14 is formed in the body '8 and extends from the portion of the bore-enlargement 12 adjacent the seat 13, said body 8 being peripherally closed fluidtightly with the exception of said passage 14. At the outer end of this passage, body 8 is flanged as at 15 and is detachably secured by appropriate fasteners 16 to another iiange 17 on a removable cap or hood 18, theouter end of this.. cap being provided with an appropriate stuiiing box 19 for a purpose to appear. Ordinaryvpipe fitting ianges 20h21 are secured tightly against the fiat sides 9 1() of the body 8, by cap screws or the like 22.

The flange 21 extends inwardly beyond the wall of the bore-enlargement 12 and co-operates with this enlargement in forming a groove G in which a shiftable ring 23 is received for movement longitudinally of the bore 11. rllhe internal diameter of this ring 23 is preferably the same as the smaller diameter of the bore, and these diameters are preferably the same as the internal diameters of the pipe sections 24-25 which are threaded into the flanges -21 respectively.- Any desired way may be employed to prevent leakage of fluid around the ring 23 to the passage 14, said ring being shown as provided with peripheral packing means 26 for this purpose.

A thin orifice plate 27 extends across the flow-bore 11 and is received between the orifce-plate-seat 13 and the ring 23, the latter also being provided with an orifice-plate-engaging-surface or seat 28. Jack screws 29 are threaded through the ange 21 at circumferentially spaced point-shonly one of said screws however being shown. 'The inner ends of these uscrews are received in pockets 30 in one side of the ring 23 and it will be clear from the number of these pocket-s in Fig. .7, how the screws 29 are spaced. apart.

- The screws 29 normally hold the ring 23 ina position at which the peripheral portion lof the orifice-plate 27 is tightly clamped between said ring 23 and the orifice-'plate-seat 13, said screws being locked in position by lock nuts or the like 31. Uponloo'sening of the screws 29 however, the orifice plate 27 may be removed through the passage 14 into the cap 18., and it will be observed that the -path on which said orifice plate is withdrawn into said cap, is free from obstructions. vFor the purpose of loosening said orifice plate 27 from its seat 13 when removalzis to lbe effected, additional jack screws 32 have been shown threadedI through the flange 20. These screws are normally in such positions as to prevent them from interfering. wlth proper seating of the plate 27 against the seat 13 and `they may be locked in these positions by lock nuts or the like 33. When it is ,desired to remove plate27, however, the lock nuts' 31-33 arejloosened, the screws 29 are loosened and the screws 32 are tightened so that `the latter loosen the plate 27 from the seat 13. This plate 27 is then outwardlymovable through the passage 14, a rod`34 being shown connected with said plate for this purpose, said rod extending outwardly through the i passage 14 and cap 18 and being received in the stuffing box 19. After movement of plate 27 outwardly. through the passage 14, the screws 32 are again backed out to thelr normal positions and the-.screws 29 are again `tightened. The result is that these screwsk 29 'force the ring 23 into fluid-tight contact with the seat 13, thereby entirely cutting off communication between the flow-bore 11 and the pasasge 14. U I

After seating of the ring 23 agalnst the seat 13, the fasteners 16 may be released or removed and the entire cap` 18 detached. Obf viously, the rod 34 and plate 2.7 ar'e removed bodily with the cap 18and it 1s then an easy matter to substitute another orifice-plate for the plate 27. This having been done, the cap, rod and substitute plateare again properly positioned upon the remainder of the fitting and the fasteners 16 are used to secure the ca p to the body '8. The screwsl 29 are now backed f out to the required amount and the screws 32 are tightened, thereby forcing `the ring 23 A away from the seat 13., This having been done, the rod 34 is forced inwardly, whereupon the plate 27 will enter between ring 23 and seat 13, it being of course understood that the screws v32 are again backed outwardly out f the path of the'incoming plate,` before this plate is forced to position. Now `the screws 29 are tightened to effect clamping of `the orifice-plate 27 between the ring 23 and `the seat 13, andithe lock nuts of all of the screws are finally tightened. The 'fitting is thus in readiness for further conducting fluid has taken place during the interchange of orificefplates.

Suitable openings 35 are shown for establishing communication between meter connection's such as 36 and the interior of the fitting. An appropriate vent`37 is also shown for relieving pressure fromthe Jinterior of the cap 18 and the passage 14 after seatingthe ring 23 against the seatf 13 or plate 27. It will be-se'en from the foregoing that novel and advantageous provision has been vention, and attention is again invited to the fact that while the disclosure herein made has been rather specific, numerous variations .so and it will be clear that no escape of such fluid Y made for carrying out the objects of the inmay be carried out within the scope ofthe .beingin substantially the plane of said seat, an orifice-plate contacting with-said seat, av -rmg confined-totally lwithin the larger end of said bore, said ringhaving parallel flat sides, the innermost of which abuts said orifice-plate and. holds it against said seat, the outer latside of said ring being inwardly spaced from one of'said flat sides of said body, annular pipe-attachin fianges secured against said flat sides of the ody arid of less internal diameter than the larger bore end,

whereby one of said flanges retains said ring' 1n .said larger' bore end, screws threaded through the inner edge portion of said 'one flange and abuttlng said outer side of the ring -for normally holding the latter in orifice# plate clamping position,` said screws being of a length to force said rlng against said seat upon removal of said orifice-plate, andsealing means in the periphery of said ring fluidsaid bore to one of its ends, said passage being in substantially the plane ofsaid seat, an orlfice-plate contacting with said seat, a ring con fined totally Within the larger end of said bore, said ring having parallel fiat sides,

'the innermost of which abuts said orificeplate and holds it against said seat, the outer fiat side of said ring being inwardly spaced from one of Said flat sides of said body, annular pipe-attaching lianges secured against .said fiat sides of the body and of less internal diameter than the larger bore end, whereby one of said flanges retains said ring in said larger bore end, screws threaded through'v the inner edge portion of said one flange and abutt'in 4said outer side of the ring for normally olding the latter in j orlfice-plate clamping position, said screws being of a length to force said ring against said seat upon removal of said orifice-plate, sealing means in the periphery of said ring fluidtigh'tly engaging said larger, bore end to prevent fluid escape to said orice-plate-removal-passage, a hood detachably secured to said end of said body and of a size to receive said orifice-plate when removed through said passage, and a withdrawal rod connected with said orifice-plate and passing through the outer end of said hood.

3. .An orifice fitting comprising a body having means for connecting it in a line and provided with a flow-bore, an orifice late extending across said flow-bore, said ody being provided with a transverse passage through which said orice plate may be-withdrawn and being otherwise peripherally closed fluid-tightly, a fluid-tight hood detachably secured to said body and adapted to receive said orifice plate when withdrawn from y its normal position, the withdrawal ath of said orifice plate being free from o structions, the outer endio said hood belng provided with a stuifing box, a withdrawal rod for said orifice plate connected with the latter and passing slidably through said stuffing box, and combined means for fluid-tightly clamping said orifice plate in operative posiytion and for cutting of communication between said iiow-bore and said hood when said orifice plate is withdrawn into the latter, said combined means embodying manually actuated means vfor positively holding it against movement underthe influence of fiuid within the line.

4. In an orifice fitting, a body having a fiat external side, said body being formed with a stepped How-bore, the largest diameter of which opens through said flat side of said body, the portion of said body at the juncture of the twodiameters of said flowbore constituting an orifice plate seat, a clamping ring received in the larger diameter of said flow bore and having its outer periphery Huid-tightly engaged with the peripheral wall thereof, and an annular pipe attaching flange secured against said fiat side of said body; said flange projecting radially inward beyond said peripheral wall of said enlarged diameter of the flow-bore, an orifice plate between said ring and said seat, and clamping means passing through said inwardly projecting portion of said flange and abutting said ring, said clampingy means serving either to retain said ring in contact with said orifice plate or to retain said ring in i contactwith said seat when the orifice plate 1s withdrawn.

In testimony whereof I fixed my signature.

' WALDO D. EMERY.

have hereunto af- 

